“I didn’t want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that’s really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you’re so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.” This is how the main character in Ned Vizzini’s ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’ describes his depression. The feeling is one that many people experience and can find themselves relating to. Drawing from his own struggles with mental health, Ned’s novel is an honest expression of what it feels like to struggle through depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and uncertainty. In his novel, Ned introduces readers to teenager Craig Gilner. Like any other high school student, he often feels overwhelmed by the pressure placed upon him to be successful. After earning acceptance into a prestigious school in Manhattan, the rigorous curriculum begins to overwhelm him, and   he feels alienated from his friends. Craig finds himself slipping into a very dark place, as he is unabl...